A Foolish Dream
by felicity-jones
Summary: 17 year-old Ally was always a dreamer; day dreaming of Hollywood and, like most teenage girls, of the Jonas Brothers. Ally's dreams seem to come true when she gets a summer job working on the set of Hannah Montana, where things turnout not as she expec
1. Surprise, Surprise

I was scrubbing the counter in the kitchen rather furiously, trying to keep my mind off of my frustrations. I got everything ready for a good cleaning: huge spray container of 409, about four different assorted sponges, and one old rag that I was now currently using on the counter. Most of the time, I hated cleaning, but I need to distract myself. I can't let my mind wonder, I might day dream. I might think of the face that haunts me every day. The face that's on the cover of every magazine, that's on every entertainment show, the face that belongs to a boy that I can never have. The face of one of the three amazingly talented Jonas Brothers. Whenever my mind strays, Joe Jonas comes to mind. I know that it's just so stupid to think of a stranger like that. I know nothing about him. But at the same time, the music they write gives us an idea of who they are. And I've listened to their music so much.

I love that band so much that I can't help but dream. My daydreams are so potent that at some points I forget that I'm even dreaming; they can feel so real. Then the moment I wake up, and take myself out of that dream world and am sadly thrusted back into reality, a silly form of sadness comes over me. The sadness that comes from knowing that beautiful dreams, no matter how amazing they may be, are nothing more than just dreams.

The speck of dirt that was lodged in the corner of a crack on the counter just refused to be lifted, no matter how furiously I scrubbed. Tired of the stubborn dirt, I dropped my towel and went over to the refrigerator for a water bottle. Once I opened the fridge I was greeted by a large chocolate cake: rich and brown, baked by my mother yesterday, with its carefully placed icing still in perfect condition. Almost on cue, my stomach growled. It looked so good and I was very tempted to eat a slice. I rubbed my tummy in hopes of quieting the urge. I know I can't have that cake; I'm already a little chubby. I can't afford any extra calories. In my mind, I think that maybe if I was thin and beautiful than my chances with Joe Jonas would be higher. That somehow it would bring us just that much closer. But of course, I know that the only way to get close to them is to be like the creepy fans and stalk them, hunt down their home and just walk in. But I'll never be like that. I refuse to be a crazy loony fan that is more than willing to climb over a barbed wire fence to get to them, one that would just walk into their home, unannounced. Never, I'll never be like that.

My stomach grumbled again. I was hungry, so hungry. But I knew that if I ever wanted to be even close to Joe's league then I must become pretty. No, more than pretty, I need to be perfect. Perfect girls don't eat cake. I slammed the door quickly, trying to forget about the food. Hunger was something that I just needed to get used to. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of jiggling keys by the front door.

"Ally, I'm home," shouted my dad from the door, his loud voice echoing across the hallway into the kitchen.

"Hey dad?" I said suspiciously. My dad never announced his arrival from work. He seemed way too excited to be home. Something's up. "How was work?"

"Oh ya, work. It was fine," he said, as if he totally forgot where he was far the past six hours. As he placed his briefcase and coat on the kitchen table, a large excited smile lit across his face.

"Ok dad, what's up? You're way too happy."

"Why can't I be happy?" His smile grew an extra few inches, "what's so wrong with being happy?" I just stared at him in suspicion; he's acting way too weird. "Ok, fine," my dad finally confessed, " I was going to wait until dinner but clearly I'm terrible at hiding things. You know how you always said that you wanted to work in the film industry and what not?"

"Yah? Why?" I asked, still compelety unsure of what was going on. I did mention to my parents a few times about how I want to be a film maker when I'm older; but still, I had no idea what he was going at .

"Well, me being the amazing father that I am got you a job. But, not just any job. I got you a job on the Hannah Montana set!" His face lit up, and his smile grew so large I was afraid it was going to fly right off.

"Wait? _The_ Hannah Montana show? As in the insanely popular show on Disney?"

"Yep!"

The moment I heard that confirmation, I couldn't help but smile just as wide as my dad. Wow, Hannah Montana, that show is so amazing! And, I love Disney. If I want to work for that company someday, than this is the best opportunity!

"Wow dad, wow!" I was totally speechless. All I could do was just give him a huge hug. This job could be my ticket to not only potentially meeting the Jonas Brothers, but also launching my movie making career. Of course, I'm only 17, but it's good to start somewhere. "Thank you so much dad! You don't even understand how much this means to me."

"I know honey," he whispered as he stroked my hair. He was still in my grateful embrace. My dad was always the compassionate one. He loved to make people happy, and was the only person I knew who could get insanely excited when he saw someone smile. I love my dad.

After another moment of hugging, I finally released him. My heart was racing from the news, and it took me a second to calm it. "So what's my job? Am I a director's assistant? Or no, even better, a producer's assistant? That would be so perfect!"

"Umm, not exactly honey," His smile quickly deflated. "It's something a little…smaller"

"Oh, of course. I'm probably like an intern right? Fetch coffee, alphabetize papers. I could totally do that…"

"Um, no," he interrupted, " not exactly."

"Well than what am I?"

"You're a….well," he turned his face away from mine, looked as his shoes, and finally muttered, "a janitor."

"A what?!" I shouted in disgust. I was so not expecting that.

"A janitor. Now I know it's not perfect but…"

"A janitor?" my mind was still trying to comprehend the word.

"Yes, honey, I'm sorry but it's the only job I could get," he said as he held my shoulders, trying to put on a reassuring smile. "My buddy Jim Keen from work is a custodian and his company also works on neighboring film sets, so I asked him if he could pull some strings. So, now you're the new employee of 'Keen Cleaning Company'" He said that last bit with a forced enthusiasm, smiling at me in hopes of that same expression being reflected off my face. It didn't work.

"Dad, I…" I muttered. I felt so bad for not being excited. I hated it when my dad was disappointed, but a janitor? I'm never going to get any respect from these actors if I'm the one mopping the floors. I sighed and decided just to practice my acting skills. "I'm still excited dad." I said, forcing my lips to curve into a smile, "See dad, I'm smiling." He didn't seem convinced, "Trust me dad, it will be awesome. This is really great."

He seemed more reassured now. He gave a final smile and kissed my forehead before he took up his things and headed up the stairs to change. As he left, I let my face muscles relax and returned to the natural frown.

"This really sucks," I thought as I returned to the half cleaned countertop. "No Ally, you have to be grateful," I said to myself, "Your dad gave you this great job on an amazing show, and yes, you'll be cleaning bathrooms, but… Oh it's no use." I sighed and banged my head on the wall in defeat. There was no use in sugarcoating it. I was working as a janitor, nothing more.

I decided that it was just best to forget about it, and continue cleaning. I grabbed the damp rag off of the counter and put more detergent on the surface. Might as well get used to cleaning and scrubbing now, since that's what I'll be doing for the next few months. Complete humiliation, on the other hand, might take a little longer to get used to.


	2. Car Ride

_The sun was slowly setting over the golden sanded beach. The sun's amber rays disappeared behind the waves, leaving nothing but red and violet color in the sky. It was so beautiful, _he_ was beautiful. As I shivered from the cold sea breeze, he took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. I couldn't help but smile. Joe then turned me around to face him, his chestnut brown eyes locking with mine. Any trace of thought melted as he did so. He whispered something, but I couldn't hear. I couldn't think, not when his eyes were locked with mine. And before I could speak, he leaned in. His warm lips…_

"Damn it!" I shouted out of frustration, as I jerked myself back into reality.

"Is everything ok honey?" asked my mom rather anxiously. She was looking over at me, making sure I didn't hurt myself or something, while trying to keep her eyes on the busy freeway. We were on our way to Los Angeles to my first day of work. Cleaning and moping, that is.

"Yah mom, everything's fine. Just…never mind."

"Ok?" my mom answered, still shaken from my little outburst.

I can't believe I was daydreaming again! This is so unhealthy. I swear, my mind is just out of control. I look at one magazine with a picture of the Jonas Brothers on a beach, and next thing I know I'm dreaming about me and Joe watching a sunset! It seems like no matter what I do, my mind strays to them. "Damn Vogue," I muttered under my breath as I threw the magazine into the backseat.

Truthfully, there's nothing wrong with day dreaming. It's just that sometimes, it can really hurt. You can dream about a beautiful world, but when you finally open your eyes and see _your_ world, well, you can't help but feel disappointed.

A poem my grandmother wrote years ago came to mind…

_Please do not wake me too soon_

_For dreaming is the only way I can see you_

_Though it is foolish_

_To dream of such things_

_As me and you_

_Let me dream my foolish dream_

_Let me pretend that it is true_

_My beautiful impossible dream_

_My dream of me and you._

I remember finding this poem, and many others, in an old leather trunk in our attic years ago. There was something about this poem in particular that really struck me. I read and reread it so much that I now have it perfectly memorized. It fits so well with what I feel now, on the road to my new summer job. My daydreams of being with Joe are completely empty, dry of any ounce of possibility. A guy like him would never give a glance to a girl like me.

"What an empty wish…" I whispered as I watched the street signs rush by, "What a foolish dream.."

N/A: Ok, I know this chapter is really short, but don't worry, there's more to come! Also, don't worry, the amazing Jonas will be coming into the story soon. Please comment, I know my writing isn't perfect, but anything would be helpful 


	3. Meeting the Boss

The drive to the studios felt never ending. My stomach was twisting into strange, sharp-rigged shapes, flipping and turning. I've never been so nervous in my life. I've never had a job before. I've never been anywhere's near a film set. I'll have no clue what I'm doing, or where to go. But then again, I was pretty accustomed to cleaning. That was my form of stress relief: sweeping and scrubbing to get my mind off of things. And with this much stress, I could scrub every crevice in the Grand Canyon and still have plenty of extra frustration to burn.

My nerves only intensified as we drove down the final street listed on the MapQuest we printed out earlier. We must be close, too close. I can't do this. Maybe it's not too late. I wonder if my mom would notice it I jumped out of the car right now. But before I could even plot out my escape, the Disney Studios came into view. My heart dropped, leaving my chest hollow and empty, giving the angry butterflies in my stomach more room to scatter. As we drove closer, through the security gates, the butterflies grew more restless; their sharp wings piecing me with nervousness. What did I get myself into?

I was pretty sure I was hyperventilating by the time we finally reached the sound stage I was supposed to be working at. Stage 25, I think. I was way too clouded with stress to even notice. My mom looked at me with worried eyes, and patted me comfortingly on the shoulder as she noticed the stress in my face.

"Honey, it will great" she said softly, placing her hand on my cheek. I could tell that she only half meant it. She wasn't too thrilled about my job either. She saw it more as child labor then a summer job. Something about making a kid wash and clean for adults seemed barbaric in her eyes.

"I know mom, I'm sure it will just fine" I lied, trying to force a smile onto my face. Now I'm the one trying to comfort her.

She didn't seem convinced, but shrugged it off anyway. There was nothing either of us can do about it anyway. Papers were signed, and documents were exchanged. I was stuck here, trapped into a humiliating job like a caged animal in a freak show.

My mom then opened her car door and stepped out onto the pavement. I reluctantly followed and got out of the car. I scanned the area, trying to find some way to escape. Everywhere around the huge lot was fenced in with tall iron gates. Wow, I really was caged wasn't I?

"Jim! Oh there you are," exclaimed my mom. Apparently she too was friends with the man who is now my boss. The janitor-in-command, the man-who-held-the-plunger, my fellow-cleaning…

I stopped my janitor pun-making the moment I turned around to face my new boss. I was stunned.

"Jim?" I asked in utter disbelief.

"Yep, that's me," the beautiful man in a blue jumpsuit answered confidently, flashing a brilliant smile.

I was shocked, so utterly shocked. I really hoped that my jaw wasn't dropped like an idiot, but I was way too unaware to notice. I was just completely…well, shocked. There really was no other word to describe it.

He was the very last thing I would have ever expected a janitor would be. I always imagined Jim as some old, smelly guy who had hung around toilets too much in his life. But Jim, the _real_ Jim, was nothing like that at all. He was the exact opposite. He definitely wasn't old, looking barely even 30. He was tall and had a rich golden tan that made him almost glow. His short chestnut hair made his blue eyes look bright and sapphire. He was gorgeous. It felt so strange to see a person so beautiful in a dull blue janitor uniform, holding a plunger in one hand and a mop in the other. He looked more like he should be the leading actor, not the one cleaning up his dressing room.

"You must be Ally," said the beautiful man as he extended his hand forward, inciting a handshake. As he moved, I could smell a scent of lavender flitter through the air. Wow, this guy even _smelled_ beautiful. Yah, he definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

Without really thinking, I shook his hand. It didn't hit me until a few seconds later that I was supposed to respond. "Yah, that's me" I answered nervously. I must have looked like an idiot starring at him like that, with both shock and envy. Why was it that everyone was so beautiful? Or am I just abnormally ugly? Yah, it's probably just the last one.

"Ok, well let's get started" Jim responded with a triumphant smile that lit up his golden face. How could someone with such a crappy job be so happy? This place already was confusing me, and I haven't even started my job yet. I can't imagine what the next three months will be like.


	4. Sighting

My Mom looked at me with a sorrowful smile, wishing she could somehow change my situtation to make it better. She gave me a hug, tight with her sympathy, and walked back to her car.

It was so hard seeing my mother drive away. I felt like a little kid on the first day at preschool, being torn from my mother and my only sense of comfort. I would have done anything to be in that car with her, driving out of this iron-gated prison and into the bright streets of Hollywood, heading for home. But I was abandoned, stuck here in this prison and sentenced to clean the grimy toilets of movie stars. Yay me.

My mournful thoughts were interrupted by Jim's strangely happy voice, "Come on Ally! It's time to get you out of those clothes and into a real uniform." He smiled again, clearly excited about the new addition to his cleaning team. This man found joy out of the weirdest things.

I followed silently behind him with my head facing the ground, this time not bothering to form a response. At this point, I was just speechless in my grief, wishing that I could crawl under some rock. But then when I looked up, only for a quick glance, I saw the studios. I was too filled with stress before to notice, but now with more clarity I could finally look at it. The studios was a long band of pavement that stretched for what looked like miles. About every ten feet was a huge white building, a sound stage, no doubt. People were everywhere, bustling around, going from sound stage to sound stage. Some people were holding clipboards, talking insanely fast into their headsets as they scurried to their on-set gulf carts. Others were clearly actors, tall and beautiful, just like Jim. They also were the only ones who just stood around casually. Everyone else seemed to be in a huge hurry, pressing the gas pedal on their gulf carts with full force, speeding down the long pavement. It felt so…so, alive. People were getting their makeup done, costumes fitted, and for a moment I forgot about my lame new job and just took in the amazing atmosphere of the place. Earlier, I forgot about my passion for film and TV. I forgot about how much I loved this stuff, this world, and how much I want to someday be part of it. I suddenly felt the essence of excitement filter through me.

I was in a state of blissful high when we finally reached Jim's company van. It was a large blue vehicle that had had the words 'Keen's Cleaning Company' spread across it in large white letters, with a cartoon of a smiling mob just beneath. My bubble of happiness was popped as Jim pulled out my new uniform from the back of the van and presented it to me, with a slight reluctance in his vibrant blue eyes.

"Now since you joined us on such short notice," Jim said apologetically, "we didn't have time to get you a brand new uniform, so we had to improvise." He unfolded the faded blue jumpsuit that looked two sizes too big. "Now I know this is probably too large for you, but it will make due for now."

He handed me the uniform and as I was about to fold it over my arm I noticed the white and red name tag stitched into the faded blue. "Frank?" I asked, filled with confusion.

"Yah, well you see, Frank was our old employee who quit about a week ago. His uniform was the only extra one we had."

_Lovely_, I thought scornfully. Could this job get anymore worse?

Jim showed me a small locker room that was part of the white building. I walked in, holding the piece of notebook paper that Jim gave me. Scribbled on it was the number and combination of the locker that will now act as my closet for the next few months. The locker room was pretty clean, I'll give it that. But still, I couldn't help but be reminded of P.E. class. I hated playing sports. I swear, I think that class was purposely made to humiliate people like me. I'm terrible at all forms of athletics. The only real talent I have is art. While other girls would be off in soccer practice, I would hide out in the art room and paint. There's just something about art that's so captivating. There's a certain amount of freedom in it, the ability to believe in the impossible and create something out of nothing. I loved how in art anything can be beautiful. If only I was a painting, something that people, through an artist's eye, might find beautiful. But then I realized that I was no work of art, I was Ally. Dull, ugly Ally.

Sorrow and self pity rolled over me. This was the first time I was actually anxious to pick up a sponge and start cleaning. A good scrubbing would help get my mind off of the painful truth. I was quickly unzipping the uniform, eager to get it on as soon as possible, when I noticed the many flaws in the suit. It was clearly worn before, for decades it looked like. The fabric was very faded and torn in some places. And as I turned it around in my hands, I noticed the discolored armpit stains just beneath the sleeves.

"Beautiful" I said sarcastically. I decided just to forget about the faults of the uniform, as unsanitary as they may be, and just throw this thing on as fast as possible.

Just as I was about to leave through the door, I noticed my reflection in the huge wall length mirror near the sinks. The suit looked huge on me, bunching up around my feet. My light blonde hair looked strangely washed out as it fell over the faded blue. Well, at least you couldn't see my fat in this parachute of a uniform. Then again, I look like a deflated hot air balloon. Well, I guess you can't have everything. That seems to be the reaccuring theme of the day.

Throughout the day Jim gave me random tasks like sweeping the sidewalk and walkway, empting the trash cans in all the dressing rooms, etc. I started to get very restless. When are the actual stars going to show up? I mean yes, no matter what, scrubbing toilets is going to suck, but if I have to clean the toilets that stars are going to be using, might as well meet those celebrities. I felt like I was playing an 'I Spy' game. With every room that I entered, I scanned each face, glanced at every corner, trying to find someone. No luck. Just older men and young interns.

I was in the middle of scrubbing a sink when Jim entered the bathroom, an excited smile on his face, of course. "Ally, you can drop that sponge now."

"Why? I just barely even started" I protested. I hated to start things without finishing them.

"Well I have a better job for you."

I just looked back at him, with a confused and tired expression on my face.

"Trust me" he reassured me, his white grin widening across his face. I couldn't help but be persuaded by those beautiful sapphire eyes. Yes, Jim was way too happy, but sometimes his joy was infectious.

"Ok," I sighed as I dropped my sponge into the half-washed sink. I followed Jim outside the bathroom and onto the lot. It seemed as if the speeding people only quickened their pace during the time I was cleaning. Every time they zoomed passed they left dark skid marks in their wake. After dodging a speeding golf cart I looked over at Stage 24, the identical white building right next to ours. I noticed there were a lot more people than there was an hour ago. I was glancing around at the new faces, most of which I didn't recognize. Then, as an overweight man with thinning hair stepped to the side, I saw Miley Cyrus. I was about to explode with excitement. Finally, after all these long hours, I have finally seen someone famous! She was even more beautiful in person. Her long hair fell down past her shoulders with soft auburn curls. She was wearing a dark red dress that hugged her thin-as-a-rail body. She was so tall that I had to look down to see how high of heels she was wearing, but was surprised to find that she was only wearing black flats. Wow. That's the only expression I have. She's tall and beautiful; aka, everything that I'm not. To the side of her was Emily Osment, then a few other faces I recognized from the show.

My excitement rose with every new famous face I saw in the small crowd. I was confused on why they all were here. Jim mentioned that filming didn't start until tomorrow. Just an hour ago this place was nearly empty, only buzzing golf carts. Now, it looked more like a party. Everyone was dressed in nice designer clothes. Everyone's hair looked professionally styled, their faces polished. Seeing the beauty of everyone around me just made me feel even more out of place and uncomfortable. As girls around me were wearing sequined dresses with their hair in curls, I was wearing an oversized blue jump suit with my hair in a messy bun that probably smelt like Lysol. But what I also noticed was that no one noticed _me_. No matter how many shoulders I bumped into, no one even seemed to know I existed. I looked over at Jim as we squeezed through the crowd, expecting a beauty like him to receive more attention, but he seemed to be just as invisible as I was. These janitor get-ups must be like some kind of social invisibility cloak. The moment you place it on, no one with importance notices you. You are no longer a person, just a prop, nothing but something that blends in with the furniture. I felt slightly relieved knowing that no one would notice my haggard appearance. How can you be embarrassed if no one even notices you?

Then, out of nowhere, in the small but dense crowd, I saw him. I had to blink about 30 times before I could finally convince myself that I wasn't dreaming. There, standing about 10 feet from me was Joe Jonas. Wait, no. It can't be him. Why would he be here? Shouldn't he be on tour or something? No, it simply can't be him. I shouldn't let my hopes up. But my doubts were halted once I caught sight of the two guys standing right next to him; both with dark curly hair, one tall with sideburns that trailed down his cheek, the other younger with dark set eyes. It was them. I was staring in shock, this was just simply unbelievable.

I began to panic as Jim dragged me closer to where they stood. I looked terrible. I didn't want my one chance at meeting them be like this, looking like this! But then I remembered how the others treated us; we were invisible. As we trekked forward, I got a better glimpse of their faces. Wow, I always knew these boys were cute, but in person they were beautiful. Kevin had the kindest face I've ever seen, with soft almost greenish eyes. Nick's skin was a creamy white, with a face like an angelic sculpture. And finally Joe, he was even more amazing than in all my day dreams. He was tall, his skin holding only a slight tan, but lean and toned. His jaw line was sharp, and eyes just as memorizing as the pictures. 

Seeing all three of them in person was like watching a painting come to life. There's one thing to see a picture, but to see the real thing is like watching magic. Before they were nothing more than two dimensional, but in person they were so much more amazing.

I was probably staring, eyes wide and jaw opened, but no one seemed to notice. I'm glad they didn't notice me. I didn't take my eyes off them, and I probably looked ridiculous staring. I was completely mesmerized when Jim tried to speak to me. I had to shake out of my star-struck trance to listen to him.

"Jez, ok finally" sighed Jim as we made it out of the dense crowd. He began to open the side door of the sound stage. "I thought we would never make it out of that crowd."

"Why are they all here?" I asked, my mind still reeling with the faces of the Jonas Brothers.

"It's an opening party, for that new show…umm... I forgot what it's called," he answered unconfidently, as he walked into the building.

I stared at him, waiting for a more detailed answer, watching the gears in his head slowly turn as he pondered the title.

"It's the one…with that band I think? The Jonas Brothers, maybe?"

My eyes widened "Wait, you mean _J.O.N.A.S._?" I said with a slight crack in my voice. I was trying to hold in my excitement.

"Ya! That's the one! I don't know why I couldn't remember. But yes, it's that one. Except I think they changed the concept. It's no longer _J-O-N-A-S_ it's just _Jonas._"

"Really? Why did they change it?"

"I'm not sure exactly, I just remember hearing the producers talking about it. I can't believe I forgot the name."

Jim was clearly beating himself up over the fact that he didn't know every last detail about this place. I guess it was part of his pride knowing everything that goes on in the studios. But at the same time, how could he have forgotten such a simple name, _Jonas_?

As Jim was muttering in his frustration, I couldn't help but smile about this exciting news. The Jonas Brothers are going to be filming their new show just feet from where I work. I could very well see them every day if possible. My mind started racing with possibilities: maybe I trip as I'm mopping and Joe catches me as he walks by, love at first sight as he holds me in his arms… Then, almost as quickly as the image filled my mind, it was shattered once reality started to sink in. Just because they were here, and I could very well meet them, doesn't mean my dreams will come true. No matter how many times I see them, I'll still be me. Dull and boring Ally, a not-so-beautiful girl that has no chance with a celebrity like Joe. Nothing can change that, nothing. Just because two paths cross does not mean they will become one.

I felt my spirits crash and burn, falling into a fiery downward spiral. I wallowed in the ashes of my hopes as I silently followed Jim down the dimly lit hallways of the sound studios.


End file.
